Polarity-indicator.



F. W. ROLLER.

POLARITY INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 27, 1912.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

MAGNET/C /4L MA DER/AL CHARGE QFF SCWG Mm m 351;; Zia How ing M FRANK w. ROLLER,

nn s'rarns Parana amen.

FOE-EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, AssreNon 'ro ROLLER-SMITH -COM1AI\TY,,A oonronarron or new YORK.

POLARITY- INDICATOR.

I To all whom it may concemi:

Be it known that I, FRANK W. ROLLER, a

citizen of the United States of America, re

siding at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have in-- vented certain new and useful Improvements in Polarity-Indicators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This. invention relates particularly .to means for indicating the direction of current flow in electric ',circuits as well as the absence of current.

The particular object of the invention is to provide an indicator which shall have separate and definite positions of indication according to the direction of the current flow in the circuit, as well as absence of current, so that the indications will not merge into each other and there shall be no confusion of indications, but, on the contrary, such indications shall be positive and distinct.

Another object of the invention is to proline 3, 3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig.4 is a view of the card carrymg the legends upon the movable member,

such card being developed in a plane sur-.

face Fig. 5 is a view more in detail of the movable member with the legend bearing card I removed; and Fig. 6 is a diagram showing circuit connections including the indicator, and especially suitable for automobile lighting. p

Referring to the drawings, the a 'iparatus therein indicated comprises a. casing A within which is mounted a coil B adapted to receive the current, the direction of which is to be indicated, a movable member (1 acted upon by the current in the coil B to effect the indications which are exhibited through a slot in the face D of the device.

The casing A comprises a base portion 1 Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 1915,

Application fi1ed December 27; 1912. Serial No. 738,815.

from which extends the circular side wall 2.- The coil B is circular and is preferably wound of ribbon conductor, the ribbon being of a width equal to the height ofthe co1 l and the overlying turns of the ribbon being suitably insulated from each other. The coil B is supplied with current, the direction of which is to beindicated, through the studs 3 and 4 which extend through the base 1 of the casing and are insulated there "from. here those studs pass through the casing they may be made square in crosssection so that they cannot turn and are seconducting clip. 8 which is secured to and electrically connected with, as by soldering, the end of the innerrtnrn of the coil 13. The movable member C comprises a central spindle or shaft 9, the ends of which are adapted to act aspivots. Secured upon this shaft are two disks 10 and 11 and between these disks extend tworods Hand 13 which rods extend somewhat beyond the disk 10 as shown. The rods 12 and 13 and the disk 11 are made of iron or steel, while the disk 10 is made of nonmagnetic material, such as aluminum, which is light in weight. This system of rods and the disk 11 are permanently magnetized so as to produce magnetic poles, one north and the other south at the ends of the rods 12 and 13. The spindle 9 being centrally located the magnetic potential will be such thatno magnetism will tend to pass through the spindle 9, but if it is desired, this spindle may be made of brass or other nonmagnetic material so as to exclude any possibility of magnetism passing through it and insure the magnetic circuitbeing through the rods 12 and 13 andthe disk 11. This construction, as described, of the movable member provides an easily constructed and efficient polarized member which is extremely retentive of its magnetism. The member (7 is pivoted at-the ends of the spindle 9 in the lugs 14 and 15 extending from the casing A, by means of screws 16 and 17 i The screw 16 takes into threads in the lug 14. and secured beneath its. head is an iron piece 18 which is thus fixed in posian armature for the magnet having its poles at the ends of the rods 12 and, 13 of the mov- I able member under circumstances as will hereinafter appear. The screw 16 being screwed down tightlyis firmly secured in position by its headcoming against the iron piece 18 and its lower end'is adapted to serve as a pivotal bearing for the end of spindle 9 of the movable member. The screw 17 which carries the bearing for the other end of the spindle is screwed into the lug 15 and may be moved up or down to se cure proper adjustment of the bearings. The screw is secured in such adjustment by reason of the fact that the lug which is split at 20 is pinched together before the screw is entered within it so that it tightly grips the screw. 'Placed'upon the movable member are suitable characters or marks to provide indications of the operation of the instrument. In this case a card of pasteboard or other suitable material, marked Dischg, Ofl' and Charge, as shown, is wrapped about and secured tothe movable member C so that as this member moves the difl'erent legends will be into indicating position. i a,

At the top of the side wall 2 of the casing the wall is rabbeted upon itsinnerside.

'7 Within this rabbet is placed a disk 21 having a slot 22 through which the indications upon the movable member may be observed. Over this may be, placed a glassplate, 23 and then the plate and disk are secured in position by a collar 24 whichyhas an internal flange at its upper end. This collar is slipped over the side wall 20f the casing and secured to the side wall by means of screws. I

In the operationfof this apparatus, when no current is passing through the coil B, the

keeper or armature 18 will hold the member- C in a certain position because the poles at the ends 'of'the rods 12 and 13 will tend to set themselves in such a position that the magnetic circuit of the bars 12 and 13 through the air will be as shortas possible v and therefore these bars will set themselves directl beneath the armature 18. The

. characters carried bythe movable member are so arranged that at this time the word Off will appear at the slot 22 indicating that the current is oil. If now current passes in, one direction through the coil B, for instance in charging a storage battery; a magnetic pole will be produced on one side of the coil, say next the base, and the opposite magnetic pole will be produced at the other side of'the coil. The north pole of the movable member C will then be attracted toward the southpolecreated at one side of they coil B and the south pole of the movable member C will be attracted toward the opposite side of the coil, this attraction overcoming any tendency tery. is discharging,

light the lights,

ber C has to set itself so beneath the iron armature 18. A- turning couple will thus be produced on the member C which will tend to set the plane of the bars 12 and 13 in alinement with the axis of the coil B. The member C will then turn on its axis and this movement will continue the movable mem that its poles are v until the bar 13 comes against thelugli.

In this osition the le end Charge will be exhibite through the slot in the face plate.

If current passes in the'opposite direction through the coil B, as when the storage batthe polarities produced at the sides of the coil will be reversed and the movable member will turn in the opposite direction until the bar 12 comes against the lug 14. In member the legend Dischg will be exhibited through the slot 22. I

It will be'observed that as the movable member is moved from itsofi' position in either direction, the means which tends to hold it in the offposition, namely, the attraction of the armature 18 for the poles at the ends of the rods 12 and 13, will decreas e.- ,It will be further observed that each direction of the current which is indicated and the off indication corresponds with a certain definite separated position, so that there is a distinct, unmistakably separated indication for each direction of the current as, well as for the 03 indication, without the merging of the indications into each -other so that the line of division is distinct.

' ed to supply current when necessary to the lights of an automobile, which may, be a head light as indicated at 32., 33 indicates.

an autbmatic switching device for establishing connections of the generator, when this position of the movable,

its voltage is sufficiently high, to light the I light 32 or charge the storage battery .31, v and to disconnect the generator to prevent the storage battery discharging through it when the voltage of the generator is low. Automatic switches of this character .are well known in the art. 34 represents a switch for making and breaking the circuit of the light 32 to energize and extinguish the same. 35 represents the current indicator, as hereinbefore described in detail. It

will be apparent that when current isflowing into the battery to charge the same the indicator will disclose the legend Charge which will unmistakably indicate to the operator the quality of current in the cir-' cuit; The legend Dischg will be displayedv when the operator is discharging current to and when there is no current flowing in the battery circuit the legend Ofi will be exhibited. This indicator may, in the case of an automobile, be mounted upon the dashboard where it is easily viewed by the driver and will oftentimes aiford a means of showing that something is wrong with the circuit if the conditions therein, as indicated by the indicator, do,

not correspond with what they ought to be in view of the condition of the apparatus. For instance, if the indicator should show Dischg when the engine was shut Idownand the light switched off, it would indicate that there was an improper circuit for the battery somewhere and that quite likely the automatic switches for cutting out the gen erator had stuck and that the battery was onlv one of the improper conditions which might be indicated by my improved indicator.

I lVhile I have illustrated my invention In what is considered its best application, it may have other applications without departing from its spiritand is not, therefore, lim ited to the structure shown in the drawings. Having thus described my invention, I declare that what I, claim as new and desire to secure by'Letters Patent, is

1. An electric current indicator comprising a movable member, means carried by the indicator tending to hold said member in a certain position, and means for causing the movement of said member to a single definite position when the current flows in one direction, and to another difi'erent single definite position when the current flows in the opposite direction.

' discharging through the generator. This is,

- 2. Athree position current indicator'comprising a movable member, means carried by the indicator tending to hold said member in aposition to indicate no current, and means for causing the movement of said member to a definite position on each side of said no-current position accordingto the direction of current to be'indicated.

3. A three position electric current'indi cator comprising a movable member having definite separated positions corresponding to the two directionslof current and to no current respectively, means carried by the indicator tending to normally hold said;

member in the no-current position, and.

means for causing the movement of said member into the two other definite positions according to the respective direction of the current.

4:. A three position current indicator comprising a movable member having three definite separated positions corresponding to the two directions of current and to the no-current conditions respectively, the position of no current being located between the other two, means carried by the indicator tending to hold said member in themid position when no current is flowing, and means for causing the movement of said member into the other two positions, according to the respective direction of the current. I

5. A polarized movable member for an electricalinstrument comprising a spindle, rods of magnetic material extending along the same and separa ed member supporting said rods on said spindle, onevof said separated members being of magnetic material and the other being of non-magnetic material.v

6. A movable member for ,an electrical instrument comprising a spindle, rods of magnetic material extending along the same and separated disks secured to said spindle and supporting said rods thereon,one of said disks being of magnetic material and the other being of non-magnetic material.

7. A movable member for an electrical said face and said member for exhibiting an off indication through said slot, and means controlled by the current for causing relative movement between said member 7 and said face to exhibit said first-named separated indications through said slot according to the directionof the current fiow- 9. An electric current indicator comprising a polarized movable member having that portion of the path of its magnetism within the member longer than that without the member, an element of magnetic material tending to hold said member in a given position, and means controlled by the current for causing movement ofsaid member from said position.

10. An electric current indicator comprising a casing, a rotatable member having its axis substantially parallel with the base of a said casing and having a cylindrically' shaped marked indicating surface, a cur rent coil about said movable member and substantially parallel to said base, and a covering portion substantially parallel to said base, said covering portion having a slot over said indicating surface.

11. An electrical instrument, comprising a movable member having a U-shaped part of magnetic material, and having its arms extending parallel to the axis of said member, a stationary element of magnetic material tending to hold said member in fixed axis of said member.

position, and a coil having its axis in a plane substantially at right angles "to the 12. A three position electric current indimember is moved from said position, and

cator having a face with a slot, an indlv g oating member adapted to exhibit its three indications one at a means carried by the, indicator tending to maintain ja-certain relative position between said face and said indicating member for exhibiting one of said indications through said slot,and means controlled by the cur-' rent for causing relative movement between said member and said face to exhibit each of the other two indications through said slot according to the respective direction of the current flowing. M

13. An electric current indicator comprising a magnetic movable membe'r,,a stationary magnetic member cooperating therewith and tending to hold said member in a oertain position, said movable member having thepath of its magnetismfwithin the memher longer than that of said stationary member and means controlled by. the currentfor causing movement of said member into definite positions. w

14:. An electric current indicator comprismg acasing, a rotatable cylindrical indicating member having separate definite indica'tions'onftl e side'of the cylinder, said member carrying an element of magnetic material, a current coil about said member, and a face. plate having a slot through which is displaced from said certain position, and

the said indications maybe singly viewed. 15 An electric current lndlcator comprls;

time through said slot,

"the movement of said movable member toother positions according to the current to ing acasing, a rotatable cylindrical indicating member having a' plurality of definite separated indications marked on the side of the cylinder, said member having its axis substantially parallel with the face of said casing, a current coil about said movable member, said coil lying in a plane substantially parallel to said base, anda face substantially parallel, toflsaidcbase, said face having a slot over said movable member through which said indications may be singly viewed.

1 6. An electric current indicator comprising a movable member, means tending to hold said member in a certain position by a force which decreases when said member means for causing .the movement of said member to other iPQ SIiAODS than said first named position according to the direction of the currentto be indicated.

17. Air electric'current rndicatorcomprising a movable member, means tending to hold said-member in acerta n position by magnetic iforce which. decreases when said means for causing the movement of said member to other positions according to the current to be indicated. a

18. A three position current indicator comprisinga movable member, means tending to hold said memberin a mid-positidn with a force which decreases when said member is displaced from said position, and

means for causing the movement of said be indicated. r

20. An electric current indicator comprising a casing, a rotatable member having of, said casing and having a cylindrically shaped marked indicating face, and a current coil about said movable member and said cylindrically shaped marked indicating face. 7

21. An electric current indicator com-' prising a movable member of magnetic material, said. member having a cylindrical indicating surface enveloping and carried by said member, a magnetic element cooperating with the magnetic material of said member tending to hold said member in a certain position, and a coil for causing movement of said member from said position, said coil being located about said member and cylindrical indicating surface.

29. An electric current indicator comprising a movable member of magnetic material, said member having a cylindrical indicating surface enveloping and carried by said member, amagnetic element tending to hold said member in mid position, and means.

controlled by the, current for causing movement of said member to a single definite position each side of said mid position according to the-respective direction of the current.

In test mony whereof I. affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

-FRANK W. ROLLER. Witnesses:

. THOMAS Howe,

G. N. KERR.

\ its axis substantially parallel with the base 

